The Australian Federal Police will more than double the number of special teams focused on “hate speech” as part of its response to the Bondi Islamic terrorist attack.
There are currently three National Security Investigations (NSI) teams, which were created by AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett shortly after she was appointed in October to target “groups causing harm to social cohesion”, based in NSW, Victoria and the ACT, but four new teams will be added.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Friday that extra funds will be provided for the expansion, and Ms Barrett said the threshold for “hate speech” would be lowered to give the AFP “greater scope” to combat anti-Semitism.
At a press conference with Mr Albanese Ms Barrett declared that “hate speech” can lead to terrorism, and revealed there were 161 current investigations under Operation Avalite, which was set up in December to investigate threats, violence and hatred towards the Jewish community and parliamentarians, and that 10 people had been charged so far.
“Essentially, the National Security Investigations teams are a flying squad of hate disruptors who focus on high harm, high impact, politically motivated violence, communal violence and hate crimes that don’t meet the threshold for terrorism investigations, but that we know drive fear and division,” she said.
“This is all about stopping hate and division earlier and well before it leads to violence. So, far this crack squad has charged 14 individuals across 13 investigations. And of those, four individuals across four operations were charged for offences relating to anti-Semitism.
“The teams were responsible for a recent week-long national blitz on the distribution and display of prohibited symbols, and for charging a passenger who only this week allegedly threatened violence toward a member of the Jewish community on a flight from Bali to Sydney.
“The announcement today to boost the numbers of our hate disruptors as well as planned changes to lower the threshold for hate speech will make it easier for the AFP to take action quicker. It could be the difference between us just knocking on a door to warn an individual, to an individual being placed in handcuffs.”
On Saturday Ms Barrett said while providing an update on the Bondi massacre that anti-Semitism was a “sickening scourge that eats at our country like a cancer”, and vowed to “ensure we have pulled ever single lever we can to protect our Jewish community” from “hate preachers”.
“The announcement this week to lower the threshold for hate speech will give the AFP greater scope to deter and charge individuals who are injecting and directing poisonous language towards the Jewish community,” she said.
“Operation Avalite, which is now wrapped into our expanded National Security Investigations Teams, continues to monitor the language used by these preachers and we do not rule out charges under the current legislation.”
Her comments come after Mr Albanese announced new legislation focused on “hate speech” and racism, and NSW Premier Chris Minns has also promised new “hate speech” laws, and on Saturday revealed the phrase “globalise the intifada” used by some pro-Palestinian protesters would be outlawed as it “is hate speech and it encourages violence in our community”.
“The chant will be banned alongside other hateful comments and statements made in our community,” he said.
The NSW legislation will be introduced to a parliament on Monday, along with tougher gun laws, an ISIS flag ban and sweeping restrictions allowing the government to ban protests for up to three months without any judicial oversight.
Header image: Left, Krissy Barrett and Anthony Albanese at AFP headquarters on Friday. Right, a man is arrested by an NSI team in Queensland earlier this month (AFP).
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